Leaders have always turned to trusted mentors . . .

. . . for counsel, advice, and independent viewpoints.

Indeed, mentoring and medicine are perhaps the oldest "people-helping" professions in the world.

Ancient history is replete with stories of great leaders who honed their ability in the company of great mentors. Perhaps the most famous mentoring duo ever was Alexander the Great and his mentor Aristotle.

This "people-helping" spirit lives on today in executive mentoring.

Executive mentors play diverse roles in the lives of leaders, top managers, professionals, and entrepreneurs.

Among other things a mentor provides:

Safety: a confidant with whom you can share personal frustrations, fears, uncertainties, or even doubts without worrying about an adverse impact on your career or working relationships.

A sounding board: an enagaged, supportive listener who poses insightful questions as you talk through tough leadership decisions, new ideas for your business, or life choices outside your executive or professional career.

Perspective: a knowledgeable advisor who understands executive leadership and offers an outside point of view on your business and the dynamics within it.

Counsel: an advisor who helps you sort through difficult issues related to ethics, employee relations, the direction of your career, or life outside your business.

Coaching: a skilled communicator who shows you how to sharpen the tools most critical for your success.

A Guide: a probing questioner who helps you keep your values aligned, your priorities in order, and your inner life in balance.

Frequently an executive mentor doubles as an executive coach or as a consultant. Indeed, some coaches and corporations use the terms "coaching" and "mentoring" interchangeably. At Strategic Leadership Development International, we maintain a distinction between the two, although in practice the distinction is often somewhat blurred. (See The difference between coaching and mentoring elsewhere on this web site.)

The right mentor puts success at your fingertips

What does success mean for you? For your team? What does it mean for you to feel fulfilled in what you accomplish?

However you answer these questions, an executive mentor like Dr. Mike Armour puts you on a fast-track to greater success and fulfillment.

A former college president, Navy captain, CEO of an international non-profit, Congressional candidate, and minister for large urban churches, Mike knows firsthand the challenges of demanding leadership positions. And he has helped hundreds of emerging and established leaders reach their most cherished goals and aspirations.

In addition, he has been a confidant and advisor to business owners, corporate leaders, and professional specialists for over 30 years. Outside of career and corporate goals, many people engage Mike to mentor them through decisions to make life more balanced, enriched, and rewarding.

After decades of service as both a leader and a personal mentor, Mike draws on a vast storehouse of accumulated wisdom and experience. Most importantly, he is a superb listener whose follow-on questions guide a conversation effortlessly into valued insights that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For additional information on how our LeaderPerfect® Solutions can serve your coaching or mentoring needs, visit these links: